Welcome to part three
of my series on Self-defense. You can find Part One here,(http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4087819597135667611#editor/target=post;postID=4403068653682043077) where I talk
about the ABC’s of Self-defense. Part Two, the Psychology of Self-defense, can
be found here.(http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=4087819597135667611#editor/target=post;postID=8430491088434212925) Today, I’ll address the physical aspects of self-defense.
This covers a lot of material, so I’m going to try to boil it down to the must
know information. The suggestions below are just a few of my tried and true
favorites. For an awesome video of techniques that will work every time, no
matter your size or strength, go to http://www.justyellfire.com. I’ve also recently been introduced to Dr. Ruthless, an amazing woman with a fabulous philosophy and
great tips for finding your inner “Neander-babe.”
The techniques below
are only to be used in a defensive situation. They are meant to disable an
attacker and allow you to escape and get help.
Targets to aim for: Eyes, ears, nose, throat, solar
plexus, groin, joints.
Weapons you possess: Fingers, fingernails, cupped
palm, loose palm, elbows, knees, feet, head, (that includes your brain!) Look
for ANYTHING in your immediate surroundings that can be used as a weapon.
If someone approaches you and means you harm, you
must react. You have a few choices here, but your job is to survive and escape.
Scream as loud as you can, FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! And
don’t stop screaming. Kick them in the groin (see the video for an extra
special technique called a “Scoop kick”), scratch or poke the eyes, cuff the
ears with cupped palms, and then grab the ears and pull their face down into
your rising knee. If you choose this method, you must not hesitate. You have to
follow through and be willing to disable your attacker. This requires an
incredible amount of courage, self-confidence, and practice, but if done right,
your attacker will never see it coming.
If they come at you from the front and grab you by
the wrist, follow through with the above scenario or use a circular movement of
your wrist and hand to break free and escape. If they have their hands around
your throat, employ the “stick ‘em up”, or “combing the hair” technique.
Basically, to break someone’s grip on your throat, you shoot ypour hands straight
up into the air and turn your body away. You can see the “combing the hair”
technique on the video and it will make perfect sense. Once you turn away and
their grip is broken, take a step back and drive your elbow in a horizontal
striking motion and slam it into their temple. Follow this with a slap to the
groin. I learned the groin slap from watching the video, but it makes sense. A
loose wristed slap will have a greater vibrational impact on the groin than a
closed fist which is more compact and requires more accuracy.
If someone attacks from behind, this is a good
option. If you feel overpowered, rather than struggle, go completely limp, bend
your knees, and drop toward the ground in a crouch. This takes a tremendous
amount of self- control and presence of mind. An attacker will not expect this
and they will have to change their grip to hold you up rather than hold you
still. It will also disrupt their balance and have them leaning forward. Once their grip has loosened or their guard is
down, you can respond with springing up on your knees and slamming the back of
your head into their nose. This should loosen their grip enough to allow you to
drive your elbow into their solar plexus or temple. Turn around to face them,
cuff the ears, grab the ears and drive their nose into your rising knee. If you
are caught in a standing position and are being choked from behind, it is
sometimes not an option to drop into a crouch like this. In that instance,
scraping the side of your shoe down their shin and slamming your heel into
their instep is an effective attention getter and will force them to loosen
their grip. You can read about this sequence in detail in SAVAGE CINDERELLA,
when Cody is teaching Brinn to fight—team Cody lovers think this scene is kind
of steamy). You would then follow with that elbow to the solar plexus, groin
slap, poke to the eyes, and cuff to the ears. Another technique that will bring
your attacker down to your size is a kick to the lateral side of the knee, a great
option if you are fighting from the ground.
Basically, the rule is fight and don’t stop
fighting. Use whatever tools and weapons that you have at your disposal. Scream,
kick, scratch, bite, or gouge. Do whatever it takes to survive. You have a
right to defend yourself. You have a right not to be a victim.
Any questions?
Author PJ Sharon's Bio:
I knew I would be a writer someday when I was a little
girl sitting on my grandpa’s knee and telling him stories that he would help me
put on paper. By the time I entered kindergarten I could already read and
write, and I couldn’t wait to look up new words every morning in the ginormous
Webster’s Dictionary that sat in the book case at the bottom of our stairs. I would
get on the bus and ask my friends, “Do you know what pulchritudinous means?”
Between that and challenging the boys to push-up contests at the bus stop, I
mostly sat alone on those bus rides to school. But that just meant I had more
time to make up stories.
Author PJ Sharon's Bio:
I knew I would be a writer someday when I was a little
girl sitting on my grandpa’s knee and telling him stories that he would help me
put on paper. By the time I entered kindergarten I could already read and
write, and I couldn’t wait to look up new words every morning in the ginormous
Webster’s Dictionary that sat in the book case at the bottom of our stairs. I would
get on the bus and ask my friends, “Do you know what pulchritudinous means?”
Between that and challenging the boys to push-up contests at the bus stop, I
mostly sat alone on those bus rides to school. But that just meant I had more
time to make up stories.
I went on to many other endeavors in life, including the
world of figure skating, and later, earning a black belt in martial arts.
Though I was a mom at seventeen, I did manage to finish school and somehow made
it through college, earning a degree as a Physical Therapy Assistant. After
nineteen years, two sons, a divorce, and some fairly lean years, I found that
it’s true what they say about life beginning at forty. It was about that time
when I reunited with the love of my life and worked my way to owning my own
business as a Massage Therapist, Personal Trainer, and Yoga Instructor—all of
my favorite things. To make my bliss complete, I moved out to the Berkshires
and found my muse waiting for me there amongst the lilacs and humming birds.
I now write Extraordinary Stories of an Average Teenage
Life in order to share hope with others, especially teens, that no matter how
tough life gets, there is always a bright spot waiting just around the corner.
My published books include the award winning YA Novels, HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES,
ON THIN ICE, and SAVAGE CINDERELLA, available through Amazon and B&N
Booksellers.
Contact Information for PJ Sharon
Book Trailers: http://www.youtube.com/pjsharon64
Website: http://www.pjsharon.com
Follow PJ on Twitter: @pjsharon
“Like” PJ on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pjsharonbooks
Find PJ on Amazon’s Author Central page: https://www.amazon.com/author/pjsharon
Follow PJ’s Promotional blog @ http://pjsharonyawriter.blogspot.com
Follow PJ’s Tuesday Scribes blog @ http://secretsof7scribes.wordpress.com
I want to thank PJ for all the great information she supplied in this three-part series. I know I have re-read it several times so it is imbedded in my head.
